Cotolo’s Harness Review, News And Notes

POSTED Oct 14, 2012
By
Frank Cotolo

Since the bulk of the stakes horses from all 12 divisions
were either thinking about or traveling to Canada to ready for the Breeders
Crown elims, we were treading water with a few plays around the country.

From the slim list we picked up a single winner, Boytown (pictured left), at
The Meadows, paying $9.

Michael’s Power was no lock in the Ontario Sires Stakes
Final at Flamboro; he finished second, as Mel Mara beat him by a nose. So much
for keying exotic combos. However, owner Jeff Snyder has put up the $62,500 fee
to supplement the colt to the Breeders Crown (for more information, see news
section below).

Our Indiana Sires Stakes choices each finished fifth, none
were favored. Of The Meadows’ nine choices with which we failed, Erin Kristen
was second at 10-1, Anotherbugga was third at 3-1, while five were off the
board and two broke with no chance of getting into the race, one of them,
Albany House was the race favorite.

Our exclusive Breeders
Crown Countdown blog continues as we head for the eliminations next week.
We will be reporting live on the nights of the elims—Friday and Saturday, Oct.
19 and Oct. 20 and finals, Oct. 27. Follow us for the top wagering value
contenders.

Review all of the season’s great harness action at the
archives we produce at Hambletonian
Society’s page.

News And Notes

Michael’s Power’s owner Jeff Snyder has been no stranger to owning top
colts. He owned Cam’s Card Shark, Million Dollar Cam and other big earners. But
this is the first time he is shelling out money to supplement a horse to the
Breeders Crown. He told Harness Racing Update that there are a few good reasons
why he will do it this time.

“Number one, the horse deserves a shot,” Snyder said. “Number two, he is
sound and fresh, despite the long season …Number three, we intend to race
Michael’s Power next year, so if we supplement now, he will be eligible for all
future Breeders Crowns. Number four, if all goes well, we think he has a shot
to win.”

Check out the Breeders Crown Countdown blog
for some other reasons Snyder is ready for his colt to take on the soph-colt
pacing division: What’s left of them.

He’s back. Commander Crowe (pictured right), now nine, comes
to Woodbine again for the Breeders Crown from across the ocean to take on the
top older trotting horses, except last year’s winner, San Pail. Owner Calle
Wihlborg is ready to avenge the loss and try again to step onto the world stage
via this side of the pond.

Commander Crowe was 16-1 last year and not on
the list of top performers in Europe. His owner, however, believes the gelding
can become one of the best trotters in the world.

Commander Crowe returns to Woodbine with a
2012 aiming to prove Calle correct. He won nine of 12 starts, earning $1.6
million, including the Elitlopp in Sweden, the Oslo Grand Prix in Norway, the
Olympic Trot in Sweden and the Copenhagen Cup in Denmark.“Crowe” is now considered the best trotter
in Europe.

“To be able to come back and win this race
would be huge,” Calle said. “But to be considered the best in the world we have
to beat American horses also.”

E.L. James, the author of the enormously popular “Fifty Shades of Grey”
books, became a standardbred owner. As would be appropriate, Ms. James’ first
horse is grey, though which shade is debatable. It’s name is Fiftyshadesofgrey.
The next two horses James and her partners bought for the group, to be trained
by George Baker, will be named for the other books in the series: Fiftyshades
Darker and Fiftyshades Freed.

Fool Me Once, the frosh-colt pacer that won twice at The Red Mile recently,
marking his first races outside of his home country, has trainer Mark Austin
raring to go to Woodbine for the Breeders Crown. Fool Me Once won four of eight
starts this season and earned $125,983.

“He raced tough both weeks,” Austin said. “Front-end speed usually doesn’t
hold up [at The Red Mile] but both weeks he fought tough through the lane and
gave a good account of himself. He can race from off the pace, too.”

Austin admits the colt will be taking on the toughest competition of his
young career in the “Crown.”

“He drew a couple [of easy] divisions at The Red Mile. It helps when you
draw away from Captaintreacherous and Odds On Equuleus [the latter not eligible
to the Crown].”

Northfield Park has changed its post times on Mondays and Tuesday. Racing
will now begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday and Tuesdays continue to offer a $10,000
guaranteed Pick-4 pool, which starts at Race 8. Friday and Saturday night
racing continues with a regular post time of 7:00 p.m.

Bee A Magician is expected to be at Woodbine for the Oct. 19 Crown
eliminations for frosh-trotting fillies. She has been sharp and among the
winners this blog has broadcasted. A daughter of Kadabra, whose progeny we have
touted here successfully going back to Poof She’s Gone a few years back, she
has nine wins in 11 starts, including a victory over the division’s top star,
Jimmy Takter’s To Dream On.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in many standardbred topics at my Hoof Beats
blog titled Vast
Performances. Every weekend as part of that blog we we offer Balmoral
Pick-4-and-win picks at the USTA’s Strategic
Wagering Program page which includes suggested win bets.

Connect to Twitter and follow Frank and Ray Cotolo for up-to-the-minute
suggestions on wagers at many harness raceways and for live coverage of the
Breeders Crown elims and finals. Then, wager from your TwinSpires accounts.

Get onto our mailing list and receive a free copy of a
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